Final answer:
If someone loses a case, they may appeal to a higher court, including the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court cases all come from lower courts and involve significant federal questions. Judges follow precedent to ensure a stable and predictable legal system, and the U.S. judicial system is structured with lifetime tenure for judges to maintain independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
When someone loses a case and still wants to keep fighting, they can often appeal to a higher court. This includes appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court if the case involves significant federal questions. Cases that made it to the Supreme Court typically involve important constitutional issues or significant interpretations of law. All cases at the Supreme Court have in common that they have worked their way up from lower courts either through the federal system or from state supreme courts.
Judges must often follow precedent, which is the principle of deciding cases based on previous rulings. This adds consistency and predictability to the law. If judges did not follow precedent, then the legal system would become chaotic and unpredictable, undermining the rule of law.
The U.S. judicial system is organized with the Supreme Court at the top, followed by the circuit courts of appeals, and then the district courts. Federal judges and Supreme Court justices have lifetime tenure, which insulates them from political pressures and allows them to decide cases impartially, although this can also lead to a lack of accountability and difficulties in responding to changes in societal values.